Stallholders at Altrincham Market have launched a campaign to collect coats and jackets to donate to Manchester’s growing homeless community.

Don Grant, Lesley Britton, Hannah Burns and Jacqui Evans are asking visitors to bring any spare warm clothing that they no longer use to the market so that they can be passed on to Homeless Project Manchester.

Recent research has found that there are more than 500 long-term rough sleepers in Greater Manchester, with over 3,000 people homeless when taking into account those in temporary accommodation, couch-surfing, or in bed and breakfasts.

The collection days will take place at Altrincham Market on Sunday 25th and Tuesday 27th November.

Don, an artist who sells his pieces at the market, has volunteered for the homeless charity for nearly two years.

He said: “The project was started nearly two years ago by a group of like-minded friends who really wanted to make a difference in giving some respite to the growing number of rough sleepers and marginalised individuals we were seeing on Manchester’s streets.